Track hanger



Julyv27, 1937. R. E. NELLES' 2,038,430

' TRACK HANGER Filed Dec. 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS INVENTOR R.E. N ELLES July 27, 1937.

TRACK HANGER Filed Dec. 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

flzzazm/ZZ J E/[aw BY C) \D /L A RNE Patented July 27, 1937 UNHTEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE TRACK HANGER Russell E. Nelles, South Orange, N. J.Application December 5, 1934, Serial No. 756 ,019

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and useful im provement in monorailtrackage suspensiona'in which a cable or other flexible member isutilized as a means of suspension or supporting '5 connection between amonorail trackage section and its supporting superstructure.

My reference to monorail trackage orto monorail trackage section orsections as above or hereinafter noted applies to any standard orspecial steel section or sections, hot or cold rolled, or drawn, whichmay be utilized as a monorail trackage section on which one or more pairof single flanged trolley wheels are made to operate and such sectionsas may be utilized to constitute crane runways, on which cranes of theunderhungtype are made to operate.

At present it is common practice to employ individual steel hanger rodsor other rolled or drawn steel sections as a means of vertical supportor connection between a monorail trackage section and its supportingsuperstructure with similar supplementary members diagonally placed withrespect to the horizontal or inclined plane of the monorail trackage,and parallel or at various angles thereto, to provide lateral andlongitudinal support to the monorail trackage. These supplementarymembers are generally referred to as angle or sway bracing.

An object of my invention is to provide a means of monorail suspensionwhereby a wide range of vertical, lateral and longitudinal support andadjustment may be obtained between the monorail trackage and itssupporting superstructure without resorting to the use .of individualsteel hanger rods or other rolled or drawn sections for the purposenoted, each of which must necessarily be fabricated to a predeterminedlength to meet individual existing superstructure conditions.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means of monorailtrackage suspension whereby the limit of vertical adjustment between themonorail trackage and its supporting superstructure is not confined tothe threaded portion of a supporting hanger rod or other member ofsuspension or to the threaded portion of a monorail trackage fittingwhich provides conventional support or connection between the means ofsuspension and a monorail trackage section.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means of monorailtrackage suspension whereby a side pull capacity may be obtained from atrolley operated on a monorail trackage without imposing undue strain tothe means of suspension or to component parts of a trolley operatingthereon, by providing for a uniform lateral movement of the monorailtrackage section throughout its length, independent of the inherentflexibility of the cable or flexible member means of suspension.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheetsof drawings which describe and illustrate an embodiment of my flexiblemember suspension for monorail trackage.

One embodiment of my invention contem plates the use of a cable or otherflexible member, continuous or otherwise, composed of ferrous or nonferrous metal, stranded or otherwise fabricated, used in connection witha suitable upper and lower cable or flexible member fitting in a mannerdescribed and as illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings as ameans of suspension or connecting support between a monorail track'agesection or monorail trackage section attachment fitting and itssupporting superstructure or its supportingsuperstructure fitting,attached thereto.

Figure 1, on the accompanying sheets of draw--- ings, is a side view orelevation of my flexible member suspension for monorail trackage withupper and lower cable or flexible member fittings with conventionalceiling or supporting superstructure fittings and suitable monorailtrackage attachment fittings with provision for verticaladjustment andproviding a rigid connectionfbetween my means of suspension and a T barsection utilized in this instance as a monorail trackage section.

Figure 2 illustrates a transverse or sectional View of my flexiblemember suspension taken on line A-A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of a modified form of the invention. Y

Figure 4 is an end view thereof; and Figure 5 is a plan view thereofsomewhat enlarged. 1

Similar parts in different figures hav same reference numerals.

i the member, continuous or otherwise and composed.

- Numeral I indicates a conventionaljceiling or of ferrous or nonferrous metal, stranded or otherwise fabricated.

Numerals 1, 8, and 9 indicate component parts of the lower cable orflexible member fitting hereinafter described in greater detail.

Numeral It indicates a turnbuckle or other suitable fitting providingfor connection with vertical adjustment, between the lower cable orflexible member fitting and the monorail trackage attachment fitting.

Numeral l l indicates a lock nut therefor.

Numeral 52 indicates a monorail trackage attachment fitting composed ofa forked section with extended shank one side of which ,is provided witha countersunk hole and opposite side with a threaded hole and extendedshank is provided with a right hand thread.

Numeral l3 indicates a countersunk-head machine screw, which whenassembled with monorail trackage attachment fitting 52, provides a rigidconnection between such fitting and the T bar section indicated bynumeral M, in this instance utilized as a monorail trackage section.

A more detailed description of the upper cable or flexible memberfitting indicated by numerals 3, 4, and 5 with its functionalrelationship to cable or flexible member 5 is as follows:

Component part 3 is segmental in shape as shown with extended shankterminating in a ball or oval shaped head providing thereby a universaljoint connection to conventional fitting indicated by numeral 2. 'Thesegmental portion of component part 3 is provided with a curved recessas indicated for reception of cable or flexible member 6, and at theradius point of the curved recess a threaded hole is provided.

Component part 4 is also segmental in shape and provided with acorresponding curved recess for reception of cable orflexible member 6,and at the radius point of the curved recess a countersunk hole isprovided as shown.

Component part 5 is a countersunk-head machine screw which, whentightened provides a rigid connection between the'upper cable orflexible member fitting 3, 4, and 5, and the cable or flexible member6', with provision for slideable adjustment thereon as required It willbe noted from the above description and with reference to theaccompanying sheets of drawings, that while the upper cable or flexiblemember fitting provides a rigid connection to the upper loop of thecable or 'flexible member 6 the construction indicated permits the upperloop of the cable or flexible member to swivel about the conventionalfitting 2, not only. in a horizontal plane, but angularly in alldirections as well.

This construction permits the fittings 2, to be located in the samevertical plane with the center line of the monorail trackage as shown oralternately off-set therefrom, thereby providng lateral stability asrequired" to the lower cable or flexible member fittings, indicated bynumerals 7, 8, and 9.

Referring to Figures 3,4, and 5, it will be seen that the fixedsuperstructure l supports a trackage M by certain means therein shown,said means consisting of fittings 2 and 3 holding a suspending cable 6,or the like said fitting 2 being arranged in staggered fashion, as shownin Figure 5. It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the fittings 2 which areattached to thesuperstructure I are alternately disposed at oppositesides of the line of trackage indcated by M. The cable 6 passes over thepulleys 9 which pulleys are held by fittings indicated by referencecharacter E0 to the member l2. In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the fittings aregenerally indicated by 3 and I0 and they can of course be arranged inthe manner shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 with the parts 3, 4 and 5, and 1 toH substituted therefor or similarly acting parts may be utilized. Thestructure shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 arranged in staggered fashion, isalso shown in another embodiment in Figs. 1 and 2.

A more detailed description of the lower cable or flexible memberfitting indicated by numerals l, 8 and 9 with its functionalrelationship to cable or flexible member 6 is as follows:

Component part I is a forked section with extended shank as shown, eachside of the fork being provided with a hole for machine bolt hereinafterdescribed. The extended shank of the forked section is provided with aleft hand thread.

Component part 8 is a machine bolt with nut.

Component part 9 is a grooved pulley with suitable bore for machine bolt8.

Component parts I, '8, and 9 when assembled in the manner indicatedconstitute the lower cable or flexible member fitting.

It will be noted from the above description and with reference to theaccompanying sheets of drawings that the lower cable or flexible memberfitting, by means of grooved pulley 8, provides a movable bearing orsupport for itself by its contact with the top surface of the cable orflexible member 6, at its lower loop thereby enabling the lower loop ofthe cable or flexible member 6, to assume any required angle between ahorizontal and vertical plane, permitting it thereby to automaticallyalign itself with the upper loop of the cable or flexible member 6.

It will also be noted that the threaded shank of the component part 1 ofthe lower cable or flexible member fitting permits of a swivel move--ment in a horizontal plane between itself and turnbuckle ll], therebyenabling the grooved pulley 9 to likewise swivel and to automaticallyalign the upper and lower loops of the cable or flexible member 6,regardless of whether the ceiling or supporting superstructure fittings2, are located in the same vertical plane with the center line of themonorail trackage M as shown, or alternately off-set therefrom aspreviously noted.

Fittings indicated by numerals Hi, H, 62, and I3 when assembled providea rigid connection between the lower cable or flexible member fittingand the monorail trackage section It, with provision thereon forvertical adjustment independent of that made possible by the inherentflexibility and continuity of the cable or flexible member 6.

It will be noted from the foregoing description and with reference tothe accompanying sheets of drawings, that owing to the inherentflexibility and possible continuity of the cable or flexible member 6,used in connection with the upper and lower cable or flexible memberfittings as set forth, many useful and desirable arrangesame as anysimilar flexible member, such as a F wire, chain, or the like, may beused in the same manner.

While I have described and illustrated my flexible member suspension formonorail trackage as applied to a T-bar section, utilized in thisinstance as a monorail trackage section, it should be understood that Ido not intend to limit its use or application to the monorail trackagesection illustrated and described but to extend its use and applicationto all monorail trackages previously referred to.

It should be likewise understood that I do not confine myself to theprecise details of construction of the fittings described andillustrated, but regard my invention as including such changes andmodifications to the fittings described and illustrated as may benecessary to adapt my flexible member suspension for monorail trackageto such monorail trackage sections previously referred to as do notinvolve a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a track hanger, the combination of a fixed overheadsuperstructure, a monorail trackage, and a continuous flexible cable,with a series of primary upper fittings with provision thereon forestablishing a universal connection between the fixed overheadsuperstructure and said cable, and a series of secondary lower fittingswith provision thereon for establishing connection between said cableand monorail trackage, said primary upper and secondary lower fittingsconnecting alternately in sequence with the cable, and permitting freemovement of said cable therethrough.

2. In a track hanger, the combination of a fixed superstructure, amonorail trackage, and a continuous flexible cable, with a series ofprimary upper fittings with provision thereon for an adjustable,lockable and universally swivable connection between said cable andsupporting superstructure, and a series of secondary lower fittings withprovision thereon for a slidable and vertically adjustable connectionbetween said cable and the monorail trackage, said primary upper andsecondary lower fittings connecting alternately in sequence with thecable, and permitting free movement of said cable therethrough.

3. In a track hanger, the combination of a superstructure and a monorailtrackage, a continuous flexible cable therebetween, alternately andoperatively connected with said superstructure and trackage forsupporting the trackage to the superstructure, whereby the preliminaryvertical adjustment of the trackage is obtained, said cable connectionspermitting free movement of the cable for said preliminary verticaladjustment.

4. A track hanger having a superstructure and trackage, a flexibleconnection adapted to be placed between the superstructure and trackage,to support the trackage to the superstructure, comprising a plurality ofsuperstructure fittings, a plurality of trackage fittings, and aflexible member alternately and operatively connected with saidfittings, the connections being such as to permit the cable to passfreely in respect thereto, whereby upon the pulling of one or the otherend or both ends of said flexible member or the release thereof, thedistance between the superstructure and trackage is varied.

5. A track hanger having a superstructure and trackage, a flexibleconnection adapted to be placed between the superstructure and trackage,to support the trackage to the superstructure, comprising a plurality ofguides adapted to be fastened to the superstructure, a plurality ofsecond guides adapted to be fastened to the trackage, locking means forone of said plurality of perstructure and trackage may be varied.

6. A track hanger having a superstructure and trackage, a flexibleconnection adapted to be placed between the superstructure and trackage,to support 'the trackage to the superstructure,

comprising a plurality of guides adapted to be fastened to thesuperstructure, a plurality of second guides adapted to be fastened tothe trackage, locking means for said first-mentioned guides, a flexiblecable passing through all of said guides and alternately and operativelyconnected therewith, the guides being suchl as to permit the cable topass freely in respect thereto, whereby, upon the pulling of one end ofsaid cable or the release of the same, the distance between thesuperstructure and the trackage may be varied, and a universalconnection for said first-mentioned guides adapted to be fastened to thesuperstructure.

'7. A track hanger having a superstructure and trackage, a flexibleconnection adapted to be placed between the superstructure and trackage,to support the trackage to the superstructure, comprising a plurality ofguides adapted to be fastened to the superstructure, a plurality ofsecond guides adapted to be fastened to the trackage, locking means forone of said plurality of guides, a flexible member passing through allof said guides, alternately and operatively connected therewith, saidguides permitting free movement of the flexible member in respectthereto, whereby, upon the pulling of one end of said flexible member orits release, the distance between the superstructure and trackage may bevaried, and adjusting means for said second plurality of guides, to varythe distance of said guides from said trackage.

8. A track hanger having a superstructure and a trackage, a flexibleconnection adapted to be placed between the superstructure and trackage,to support the trackage to the superstructure, comprising a plurality ofuniversal joint connections adapted to be fastened to thesuperstructure, a plurality of guides supported by said universal jointconnections, a second plurality of guides, means connecting said secondplurality of guides with the trackage, means adjusting the distancebetween said second plurality of guides and the trackage, said lastnamed guides permitting said connections to be laterally displaced, acable passing through both pluralities of guides alternately, saidguides permitting free movement of the cable in respect thereto, andmeans upon at least one plurality of guides for locking the cable.

9. In a track hanger, the combination of a fixed superstructure, atrackage and means for suspending the trackage to the superstructure,said means being connected with the superstructure alternately atopposite sides of the line of the trackage, and being free to move inrespect to the superstructure and trackage, whereby, upon the pulling ofone end of the means or the release of the same, the distance betweenthe superstructure and trackage may be varied.

10. In a track hanger, the combination of a fixed superstructure, atrackage and means for suspending the trackage to the superstructure,

ture, comprising a plurality of guides adapted to be fastened to thesuperstructure, a plurality of second guides adapted to be fastened tothe trackage, locking means for one of said plurality of guides, aflexible cable passing through both series of guides, and alternatelyand operatively connected therewith, said cable being freely movable inrespect to said guides to permit the pulling in or letting out of thecable, or to raise or lower the track, and a horizontal swivelconnection between the second series of guides and said trackage.

RUSSELL E. NELLES.

